Intentional Encouragement

     After all the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples fully expected that He would restore the national kingdom of Israel and free the Jews from Roman domination.  Instead, according to the end of the gospel accounts and the early part of the book of Acts, he gave them a simple command...and left to go back to Heaven.      For the time being, let's skip the details surrounding his departure and their amazement at the whole thing and focus on His command to them.  It's worded in several ways, but basically Jesus said: "You will being going locally, regionally, nationally and worldwide to be witnesses about me.  As you do; make disciples."      A simple command.  It can really be synthesized to those 2 words...make disciples.  I talked last time about what a disciple is.  You can go back and read that post here if you want to.  The question I want you to ask yourself about discipleship is the title of this post.  Who's job is it

     Just last week, my wife and I started a Bible study with a group of young adults.  Interestingly; these folks were part of a small group at our house a few years ago, but they were mostly college students then.  Now they have (all but 1) graduated and are in the world of work and "adult" life.  When we began to mention the group (and the study) to some of them, they jumped at the opportunity.  I was honestly a little surprised, but really have been glad to have them come.      I enjoy their company and fellowship.  Their perspective is fresh.  They are working out their own worldview and their own take on life and Christianity.  The study we are doing follows along with the book "Multiply" by Francis Chan.  Francis is always a challenge in the books he writes, but this one is unique.  The subtitle of the book is "disciples making disciples."  It reminds us that discipleship is the responsibility of all believers; not just the pastors, Sunday school t

      "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."  Solomon said this many centuries ago, but I experienced it in a fresh way just this morning.  Someone took a couple of minutes to write me one paragraph in a private message on Facebook.  I can't right now give any details as to why it spoke to me so much, but I can tell you that it was nearly life changing...and I'm not given to drama in the way I say things.  Very few times, have I sensed that I was receiving a word from the Lord through a friend.  I suspect they did not realize that they were writing me a note that was from the heart of God to mine, but they were.  I suspect they were just sharing a little bit of their heart and giving me a little encouragement.       I have mulled over their words...re-reading them several times today and thanking God for the way they lifted my spirit and helped me look forward again.  Their words were like apples of gold in a setting of silver.  Beauti

     I wrote this post a couple of years ago, but since this is the weekend that we celebrate the resurrection for 2014, I have spent a little time meditating on the importance of that fact.  I hope it's a blessing to you and an aid in letting Resurrection Sunday be powerful for you this year.           It all seemed so small; a brown outline with little dots of blue and one larger empty brown area.   What am I talking about?   Why, the Grand Canyon , or course.   For many of you who have flown over it at 30,000 feet as you crossed the US for some reason, you may remember the first time the pilot said “now out on the left side of the plane, you will notice the Grand Canyon …”   Somehow, since you were so far removed from it; it didn’t seem so grand.      There are a lot of times in life when this is true.   Even the events that are important to us seem to be reduced in magnitude as time moves us further and further away from them.   That time I got knocked down and took a lickin

     I know I've been negligent at the blog in the last month, but I think I have good reason this time...I have started writing a weekly post for a web site entitled Apropos Walk, and have been enjoying the opportunity to put my love for written word into a profitable exercise like that.  If you'd like to check it out, you can find it here .  I write the "Monday Musings" on a different topic each week.      The second, and more important reason I haven't taken the time to write is because of a stressful season in our family's life.  Our youngest son just turned twenty in January.  He is our special gift from God and has special needs.  Partly connected to his developmental situation and partly due to a significant growth spurt in the last year, he needed to have a major back surgery about 2 weeks ago.  Prior to that, our minds and hearts were pretty well consumed with the pending operation.  We are now home and I am happy to report that he is making progress

     I have to say that once in a while the Lord reminds me of some simple truths that I have known and taught for years, but have let slip in practice.      I taught recently on James 4:1-3.  As I prepared and taught the Scriptures, I was reminded of a couple of important truths about prayer.      First; God is more ready to answer than we are to pray.  For all of the struggling we do to make sure things go the way we think they should...for all of the fighting or arguing or scheming or whatever else we do to try and get things accomplished; what we really need to do first (and in the middle, and last) is pray.  "You do not have because you do not ask."  Why is that so hard for us to grasp?  Why do we spend so little time in prayer?  Why do we make all of our plans and preparations and then ask God to bless it?  Perhaps the reason we do not have is that we have not really asked God.      Second (and more difficult) is the matter of our motives.  "You ask and do not r

     I know the title of this blog is "Intentional Encouragement," and I plan to end this on an encouraging note, but I was teaching this past Sunday on some doors to consider in the New Year when a passage struck me once again as it does every time I read it.  The main point was the door of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and with our Heavenly Father.      As I pursued what it takes to really enjoy fellowship with the Father, I talked about the words spoken to the church in Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3.  In the 20th verse, the church is told "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot.  Would that you were either cold or hot!  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."      If you are a follower of Jesus, I suspect that one of your desires in this New Year is to give some consideration to your relationship with God.  Would you remember please that moderation is not something God wants from